Shock-absorber.



E. PROUTY.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED 1111,1114, 1911.

1,006,789, Patented 0013.24,1911.

2 BIIBBTS-BHEBT 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOOW 50., WASHINGTON, 4D. C

ENOGH PROUTY, OF JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS.

' SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oat. ea, ieii.

Application filed July 14, 1911. Serial No. 638,497.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOOH PRoUrY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Junction City, in the county of Geary and State of Kansas,have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers, of whichthe following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention pertains to shock absorbers, and relates particularly tospring shock absorbers for use upon self-propelled vehicles. In devicesof this character, it is desirable that the wheels of the vehicle shallhave considerable freedom of movement, that is, a long travel relativelyto the body; otherwise the shock resulting from the encountering of anobstacle by the wheels, will not be taken up to an extent sufficient toavoid unpleasant jarring. On the other hand, the use of springs arrangedso that they have a comparatively long travel is subject to thedisadvantage that too much motion is imparted to the body, and thesprings wear out more quickly than otherwise would be the case.

It is the principal object of my invention to produce a shock absorberof high efficiency, which, apart from absorbing the jars, willcommunicate as little movement as possible to the body of the vehicle;that is to say, it is my chief object to produce a shock absorber whichallows of a long travel of the wheels relatively to the body, but thetravel of the resilient portion of which is comparatively short.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a shock absorber ofthis kind which will be of a simple and durable construction.

With the above objects in view, I have constructed a shock absorberembodying my invention, and, having found the same to be satisfactory,have chosen it as conveniently illustrating my invention. In order thatthe invention may be clearly understood, this embodiment is described inthe following specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings. It isto be understood, however, that my invention may be embodied in otherconstructions which lie within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the shock absorber witha part of the spring casing broken away, and with the springs shown insection; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device; Fig. 3 is an invertedplan of the spring casing and the springs contained therein; and Fig. 4is a vertical section on the line 44; of Fig. 1 looking in the directionof the arrows.

The shock absorber shown in the drawings consists of an arm and a leaderiron mounted so as to extend outward in a longitudinal direction fromthe axle and the body respectively, and pivotally connected to eachother at their outer ends. A cushioning device of the general typedescribed and claimed in my Letters Patent No. 971,636, ()ctober 4th,1910, is mounted between the arm and the leader iron toward the out-erends thereof; so that the movements of the cushioning device are ofconsiderably less amplitude than those of the axle. In applying thedevice to the ordinary four wheeled automobile, four of the devices areemployed,two at each end of the machine. The devices being all similar,however, it is only necessary to describe one of them.

Referring now to the drawings; 10 indicates the arm, which is adapted tobe se cured to an axle of the vehicle so as to extend outwardly from thesame in a longitudinal direction. The outer end of the arm 10 is forkedso as to receive the end of the leader iron 11, which extends outwardlyfrom the body of the car in a longitudinal direction, a bolt 11 beingprovided for pivotally connecting the end of the leader iron 11 to thearm 10.

A cushioning device is mounted between the leader iron 11 and the arm 10at such a distance from the axle that considerably less movement isimparted to the parts of the cushioning device than that through whichthe axle moves in riding over an obstacle. In other words the bolt 11forms the fulcrum of a lever, the power being transmitted from the axleat one end of the arm 10 to the cushioning device located between theaxle and the fulcrum. In the drawings 1 have shown the device soarranged that the leverage may be either three to one or four to one;but I may construct the device for any leverage which may be required.The cushioning device includes a hollow spring casing 12 which islocated beneath the outer end of the arm 10, and has a slot 13 thereinfor receiving the same. Extending upwardly from the casing 12, one oneither side of the arm 10, is a pair of rods 14, the ends of whichembrace the leader iron 11 and are secured thereto by a bolt 15.Immediately beneath the hole in the leader iron 11 through which thebolt 15 passes, the arm 10 is formed with a hole through which extends athreaded member 16 provided with a head 17 at its upper end which restsupon the arm 10. The threaded member 16 is provided at its lower endwith a nut 18 which engages against the lower part of a lmrimntallydisposed volute spring 19. Above the spring 19 is placed a washer 20which engages beneath the lower face of a horizontally disposed volutespring 21 similar to the spring 19. The springs 19 and 21 are arrangedso that as they are distorted to an increasing extent, the coils of thespring 21 will seat to a greater extent against the inner surface of thecasing 12, which surface is substantially conical; whereby theresistance of the springs to distortion becomes greater as thedistorting force increases. The nut 18 is adjusted upon the member 16 soas to give the correct distance between the axle and the body; and thethickness of the washer 20 is such that in the case of a particularlyheavy shock, the whole of the spring 21 will seat before the inner endof the arm 10 can strike the inner end of the leader iron.

In the device shown, the distance between the bolt 11 and the member 17is approximately one third of the distance between the bolt 11 and theaxle, the effect being that a movement of the axle through a certaindistance will only cause a distortion of the spring through about onethird of that distance. Thus the axle is allowed considerable freedom,while the spring is not required to have a long travel,the result beingthat a very eflicient shock absorbing device is protectin I duced andone which does not permit any very great swaying movement to be impartedto the car by the shocks at the axles.

In order to provide for an increased leverage, if desired, I form theleader iron 11 with a hole 22, and the arm 10 with a hole 23 arranged soas to give a leverage of four to one instead of three to one.

I have described an embodiment of my invention, but wish it to beunderstood that the invention may be embodied in other constructionsthan that described; and that changes may be made in the devicedescribed and shown without exceeding the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is:

A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a member connected to an axleso as to extend outward therefrom in a longitudinal direction, a memberconnected to the body so as to extend outward therefrom in a 1011-gitudinal direction, said members being pivoted together at their outerends, a spring casing connected to one of said members adjacent thepivot, said spring casing having a conical inner surf-ace, a volutespring mounted in said casing, so as to engage at its periphery theinner surface of said casmg, and a device extending from the other ofsaid members for engaging said spring centrally, for the purposes setforth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

ENOCH PROUTY. \Vitnesses:

'IHos. B. KENNEDY, A. H. MooN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

